O O Saint Augustine, you who were a passionate seeker after truth,

you who knew the insatiable thirst of the human heart,

we come to you with our doubts, our weaknesses and our longings for light.

You walked long dark paths before finding peace in God,

and that is why you understand our struggles, our mistakes and our expectations.

You who discovered in your heart the presence of the One you were seeking outside,

teach us to turn our gaze inward,

to listen for the silent voice of God who speaks in the secret of the soul.

Help us to recognise in our wounds the trace of His mercy,

and to believe, as you do, that nothing is lost for him who still hopes.

St. Augustine, you who understood that our heart is without rest

as long as it does not rest in God,

intercede for us in our weariness and dispersion.

May your example remind us that true peace

is not to be found in honours or in the goods of this world,

but in trusting abandonment into the hands of the Father.

Maintain for us the grace to love truth more than ourselves,

to seek wisdom with humility,

and never to despair of divine tenderness,

even when our weaknesses overwhelm us.

Make our lives, like yours,

an offering of love, praise and service.

St Augustine, attentive shepherd and doctor of the Church,

inspire those who teach and guide souls

to a taste for truth, gentleness of heart and clarity of mind.

Help all believers to understand that faith and reason

are not in opposition but complement each other,

and that God's light illuminates even the deepest nights.

You who so loved eternal wisdom,

ravive in us the desire to contemplate God in all things.

Make us peacemakers, witnesses of charity,

and joyful pilgrims on the road to holiness.

Finally, Saint Augustine,

you who tasted Christ's mercy

after so many years of wandering,

be our companion on the way back to God.

When our hearts grow weary, awaken in us the fire of your love;

when we doubt, make us faithful to the truth;

and when the hour of our final journey comes,

accommodate us in that City of God which you have contemplated with hope.

May we one day rest in peace with you

in the light of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,

for ever and ever.

Amen.